The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-05-15
ECHOES OF A BIG STRIKE.

the Southwestern Workmen.
From the Ne,o York Times.
Il don't hear any shooting tonight boys"
Thespeaker was Maj. Joe Herrin, man
who had both heard and had done a good
deal of shooting in his time.
''The angels are too busy tonight" re-
piled one of the "boys," Supt Fleming, of
the International and Great Northern rail
road.
Don't you hear 'em yelling at the cows?n
added Supt Jake Frey of the M. K. and 7.
The railroaders occupied special car that
was hung up for the night at Texarkana,
Tex The correspondent who was with
them had heard variety of noises without
knowing exactly what they meant or how
they were made, and had noticed numbers
of lights moving in an irregular manner on
what seemed higher ground than the road
bed on which the special car rested. He had
asked no questions, however, for it's highly
inlpolitic in Texas to allow any one to sup
13fEe you don't know the yell of cowboy
#hsn you hear it, Once heard it's not likely
hi ie mistaken for anything alse.
<tsXAe cowboy is one of the ornaments of
Mariana. Quiet and peaceably disposed
q @Cble may acknowledge to themselves, but
The most secret manner, of course, that
: - cowboy could well be dispensed with;
Mt they are careful that such q thought
Aoh4ld not be attributed to them, at least not
until they have looked their last upon Tex
arkana. The town is a sort of roundup for
them, and during the cattle season they fill
the night air with yells that no animal but
Texas steer could hear long and live The
cowboys are useful to the cattlemen and to
persons who sell spirits, and where they
gather there is likely to be some excitement.
But on this particular night they had their
hands full, and made the fact manifest by
1 CAhing through the darkness, a lantern in
+ <.& hand, like so many will-o'-the-wisps,
IA yelling like Thoroughbred Comanches.
Tie night was warm, and the occupants
The special car sat ON the the broad plat
If0 at the rear, for the car was built for
&EEr walton purposes. For time the rail
1t<1ers talked of matters purely railroad,
~1 then began to drift into "reminiscences.
Ihis time last year." said Maj. Herrin,
~ was then doing his Seventeenth year of
X0{Irpading, most of them as Superintend-
<Itz IN Texas, 1--WE were in the middle of the
lfEat Strike" CThe railroad strike of 1886
III Southwest is always spoken of there
With capital ''Gn and rs"
ID other railroaders nodded They had
~6 been in it. Frey at Denison, Texas,
~f<pns and other points in Kansas; Fleming
81 Louis and along the line of the Iron
Xntain. Mai. HeTIin made his headquar-
M ri Palestine during the strikes, though
rs to be found at all points ON the In
otional and Great Northern, from Pal
~ to Galveston, and from San Antonio
6lt Worth. The strike had developed
e dangerous characters in Missouri, but
MT of them lacked the wild Western fe-
+EftF of many of the strikers in Kansas Ar
STSas and Texas. In Texas the strikers
tHnlly owned the railroads for a time,
much as he chafed against their rule,
Herrin was for several weeks power
He had seen hard fighting, too. Dur
the war he had performed several secret
<i8 dangerous commissions under personal
s gE44 Ntions from Gen. Grant, and seventeen
4eafs under the torrid sun of Texas had
neither Slapped his energy nor lessened his
courage.
Day after day he would attempt to move
a train, having by tremendous personal ex-
ertions obtained crew who had promised
to stand by him. Day after day, when the
tug came, the crew surrendered to the mob.
Even the engineers began to dislike their
jobs, but they had not Joined the strikers
and had not manifested great deal of
sympathy for them either, except in indi-
vidual cases. Herrin grew desperate, par
ticularly when he discovered that the legal
counsel of his road advised further delay in
the moving of trains. The railroader, who
knew that his road was blocked with freight
except at competing points where his rivals
were getting all the business, tried to explain
the situation to the man of law. The latter
sympathized and attempted to soothe, but
wound up by again counseling delay. Then
the railroader slammed the lawyers office
door after advising him to visit the section
preferred by Phil Sheridan to Texas.
II was boiling mad, )" said Herrin, ''for the
longer those fellows were allowed to stop
traffic the harder they were to handle. /
made up my mind to move train. / got
the train made up, or ready for it, and had
men could trust TO get on board. Then
hired Chris Rodgers. Chris was known at
Palestine and all over Texas as a bad man.
man in town. He was handy man ON such
an occasion. | told Chris what wanted.
told him Just how many men would be on
the train and who they were. His orders
were to allow none else on board. He was
to appear in the yard at ia certain time. He
was on time, and his appearance caught the
crowds eye and gave 1t start He carried
Winchester rifle slung across his arm, and
in his belt he carried two revolvers. He wore
no coat.
II didn't feel too certain of the engineer
so I thought ] would make matters sur O.
When l was ready for him jumped on the
cab and nodding my head in the direction
of the mob, / said, They say you're afraid,
Bill The blood rushed TO his face. Then
the color left his cheeks and he became
white as cotton.
"'We1l see,' was all he said.
''Then l knew he'd drive his engine
through blood He had been afraid in his
any mans nerve He knew bullet might
skip through the cab at any minute or that
his engine might be disabled without his
knowledge. But to be told TO his face that
others had said he was afraid and TO have
others believe it, was worse TO him than all
the chances against him. He stood with his
hand on the lever waiting for the signal and
paid no attention TO the entreaties or threats
of the crowd. His fireman stood at his side,
with no thought of leaving his post. / told
Chris to get on top of the train. His orders
were to allow none but the men pointed out
TO him on board.
''As he climbed up, the crowd swarmed
about the train, many jumping on. One
good look at Rodgers and his outfit was
enough for all but one man. He stuck to
the train until he was given q minute to let
90. Then he dropped, swearing to come
back and kill Rodgers We moved that
train, and it was a beginning
When Rodgers got back TO the station
he saw the man who had threatened to kill
him walking i'll his direction and trailing a
gun, Chris had him covered in a moment.
lie didn't tell him to throw up his hands,
but to reverse arms and march toward him.
Inc fellow did So When ne was within
reach Chris took the p1in from, bi,,, aud thor,